K98

[andwaahs]

I am hopefully soon to have the papers in order to purchase a K98, Has anyone a suggestion for a good site to do some research?
Most of the rifles here will have been capture marked by the armed force they were re issued to, but I am hoping to find one unmessed with.

[hansfischer007]

Try Try Try...to get an All Matching....Especially the Bolt....its almost impossible to find a captured K98 with a matching Bolt....because as soon as they were captured...they threw the rifles in one pile...the bolts into another.......and they never saw one another again your best bet is to find a "Vet bring back"....they usually are unmessed with.......Good Luck.....post what you do find.....Danke.....Hans Fischer

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by andwaahs

I am hopefully soon to have the papers in order to purchase a K98, Has anyone a suggestion for a good site to do some research?

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/

Very knowledgeable bunch.

[kzullick]

www.mausershooters.org and
mauser98k.internetdsl.pl/indexen.html
Both have some good information

[kubel]

I hang out here a lot: http://www.k98kforum.com/forum.php

A lot of the experts frequent that forum. (I'm not one of them) ":^)

[Sergio Natali]

I used to collect K98K and let me assure you that it's practically impossible to find a genuine German K98K all matching and unmessed.
You 're more likely to find "Russian capture" ones completely unmatching and with their tipical cross mark on the barrel.
I enclose the photo of one of my Mauser K98K that I've recently sold, it's a cal. 8x57 JS. dated 1937 S/42 completely matching; BUT although it was made in Germany, belongs to the lot that in 1937 was sent to the Portugese army, so it was'nt really used during the WWII.
Just for comparison, here in Italy the cost of a very good K98K rounds about the equivalent of 1560.00 USD

[alanint]

Good, unmessed with K98s, while not plentiful, can be found here. This is a gun that GIs had no restrictions in bringing home. While many were sporterized post-war, many more where simply left in a closet.

Last time I looked, good, original, all correct K98s were in the $800-$1,000 range in my area.

[MikeP]

All correct 98s are topping $2000 in most areas when they can be found.

[andwaahs]

Thanks for the replys, i have been somewhat busy with all the snow fall here, i have managed to find a 98 with its proper barrel however its beaten the hell up and the rifling is "not the best". The only other im looking on is a 30-06 re barrel with a matching bolt, its in fine order stamped norwegian air force. But i will keep looking for now.

[318is_Parabellum]

Good luck! US Servicemen brought back many, many k98's after the war, but most are bolt mismatches. This is due to how infantry soldiers rendered weapons "harmless" immediately after combat/capture.

In my case, I have a 660 code bnz 1940 that was a bolt mismatch. Unfortunately the stock was "sporterized" and a rubber buttpad installed. I acquired a correct type Norwegian capture stock, and it makes for a pretty nice rifle, in better shape than most Russian captures.

I recently found an all-matching J.P. Sauer c e 42 code in a local shop *with a matching bolt*! Tragically, the stock has been cut down and the barrel bands lost. I hope to find another correct stock for it soon. A replacement stock will likely cost me what the rifle did!!

ETA: Intact Norwegian captured k98's are very rare (only a few imported) here in the US. It is my understanding that the Norwegian government destroyed most of them relatively recently.

[Sergio Natali]

Norvegian capture K98K are not that rare here in Italy, I had two of them that I sold a few years ago, unfortunately here they are not sought after at all, although they are very good shooters.

When on 8th May 1945 the defeated German soldiers left Norway many so called Norvegian collaborationists were murdered.
The Norvegian military contribution to the WW II was an infantry regiment and four air squadrons to the Allies.
In 1949 Norway joined the NATO and from early 1950 until 1970 received 7.763 military vehicols 479 cannons, 171.068 rifles, and 624 airplanes and helicopters.
During their retreat the German troups left several thousands of K98k used by the Norrvegian their Army, initially in their original caliber (especially the Norvegian Navy), then their Kongsberg arsenal re-chambered them in caliber .30-06 and the guns were re-named M/98kF1.
Some other K98K were rechambered in 7,62 NATO.

In 1973 those guns were dismissed by the Norvegian Army.

[andwaahs]

Most of these surplus guns are bought up by a company called landrø, he has thousands lying in storage. they are for sale however you get what your given. not the way I want to buy a rifle. A shame as he probably has a number of desirable guns among this lot, but he is so arrogant many wont deal with him (me included) a smaller dealer here is buying up some 30 or so at a time from him and selling them wider. I am waiting to see if he pulls out a choice weapon. also there are the guns that entered civilian hands after the war and have not been modded, one of these is what I realy hope to find.

[Gebirg]

Nice and interesting topic
Here is my all number match, and not messed with by Kongsberg weapon factory. It is a wery rare marked 1939 with code 337 for Gustloff Werke - only made in 9500 pieces. In 1939 you also had the 1939 BSW for Berliner suhler waffenwerke - that is the same factory...